Egypt to keep Rafah border crossing open during Ramadan: Sisi

Egypt president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered on Thursday to keep the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip open during the whole month of Ramadan.

“I issued my directions to the concerned apparatuses to take the necessary measures to maintain the opening of the Rafah border crossing throughout the holy month of Ramadan in order to ensure the easing of the burdens on the brothers in the Gaza Strip,” El-Sisi said in a tweet on Thursday evening.

Last Saturday, Egypt had opened the border for traffic in both directions with the intention of keeping it open for four days.

However, on Monday, the authorities decided to extend the opening to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians after the killing of at dozens of civilians by the Israeli occupation army during protests in Gaza against the transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The Rafah border crossing is the main gateway to the outside world for 1.8 million Palestinians living in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, and is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel.

source: Ahram online